Hennepin County, Minnesota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Hennepin County's overall risk Relatively High (score 98.3 of 100, higher than 98% of rated U.S. counties); 8 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, tornado, hail. Its storm record holds 1,442 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Very High | 99.8 | $102M |
| Tornado | Very High | 99.6 | $83M |
| Hail | Very High | 99.6 | $31M |
| Strong Wind | Very High | 98.9 | $8.7M |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 97.4 | $1.3M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 99.1 | $39M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 98.0 | $188M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 90.3 | $1.5M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 79.7 | $475K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 82.4 | $27K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 74.9 | $309K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 40.7 | $84K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 49.8 | $325K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 586 | 0 | $918M | 2nd of 87 | 48th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 495 | 2 | $240M | 2nd of 87 | 387th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 125 | 0 | $25M | 29th of 87 | 594th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 62 | 0 | $6.9M | 7th of 87 | 935th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 49 | 0 | – | 2nd of 87 | 230th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 31 | 14 | $1.3B | 8th of 87 | 648th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 20 | 0 | $26K | 71st of 87 | 715th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 19 | 0 | $3.6M | 1st of 87 | 216th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 18 | 0 | $59K | 21st of 87 | 1316th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 17 | 3 | – | 10th of 87 | 763rd of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Hennepin County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.